Wow I am being really creative with titles this time around haha.

This chapter is going to be fun if I write certain parts right.

Enjoy! :)

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Open the gates, and seize the day.

Don't be afraid, and don't delay.

Nothing can break us, no one can make us, give our rights away...

Arise and seize the day...

They're ready.

Here they are, after everything that went down yesterday, and are back for more.

Yesterday was chaotic, and they lost Crutchy in the process. But this is for them. For all of them.

Now is the time for them to prove that they are worth listening to.

They link arms, forming one line, ready to strike.

A wagon moves past them, making them all flinch and/or jump up.

It's a wagon carrying papers.

Shouting after it, they chase it all the way to the circulation center, ready for a fight again today.

Except, this time when they reach the circulation center, everyone stops cold, for right in front of them, are their replacements.

The two sides stare at each other, neither moving a muscle. This goes on for a few more moments, the tension in the air rising.

"Alright, everyone," David calls out nervously. He doesn't want anyone to get hurt. "Remain calm."

A moment of silence. Two moments of silence. Three.

Jack shouts, "LET'S SOAK 'EM FOR CRUTCHY!"

A beat.

"YEAH!" all the newsies shout, and rush forward.

Oy vey. David just stands there, done with everything, as newsies push and shove around him. Seriously--these people do not understand what personal space is.

It gets very chaotic very quickly.

David has no idea what's going on around him. He just hopes that no one gets too badly hurt--that applies to anyone; whether his friends, or these scabbers. Althought he seems to be the only one who has this opinion.

Suddenly, gates open, and everyone rushes forward, assuming it's another line of scabbers.

But it's not. It's much worse.

"Aw, Jack!" Race cries out. "Jack! Jack, it's the crib!" and he runs the other direction, as do others.

These guys are mean, emotionless, and apparently don't have a problem with treating striking kids the way they treat striking adults.

David's blood turns cold. This was not supposed to happen.

The newsies all fall back, nervous. They all know as well that this wasn't supposed to happen.

And the police aren't going to stop it.

Denton and Katherine are outside the brawl, very very concerned.

"Aren't you going to stop them, sir?" Denton shouts up to the policeman on the horse.

"Just move along, mister," is all he gets in reply.

This isn't right. Both he and Katherine know it. But they're powerless to change what's going on.

The newsies are going to have to deal with this on their own.

And boy, are they dealing with it.

"Goin' somewhere, Cowboy?" Oscar taunts Jack. Jack gets away as fast as he can.

Tumbler almost gets taken away, but Skittery won't stand for that.

All the newsies are desparate. This is not working in their favor. There is really only so much more of this that they can take.

As of right now, this is not going in their favor.

They don't know what to do.

Suddenly, there are new newsies popping up on the rooftops--not that anyone down below notices.

But these newsies and their slingshots keep coming.

The one and only Spot Conlon jumps down onto a balcony.

"Never fear," he declares loud and clear, "Brooklyn's here!"

Mush is the first one to look up, glee and excitement on his face. "It's Brooklyn!"

"Brooklyn!" several newsies repeat, relieved.

"Spot's here!" Race cheers. Spot sees Race, and smiles.

The Manhattan newsies are much more confident now.

The Brooklyn newsies get to work right away, slingshots at the ready.

The fight is now in the newsies' favor.

The fight continues on around them. The newsies are fighting back. The newsies in the street fight with their fists, the newsies up above fight with their slingshots, hitting the bad guys with their pebbles and marbles.

Kid Blink throws a punch here. Boots kicks a guy over there.

The guy chasing Race gets a marble to his head, thanks to Spot. Race looks up at him, gratitude and awe shining on his face.

As he was distracted, another guy comes up to him. Except now he's ready.

"I give up," Race tells him, hands up, playing the surrender card. "Alright, I give up." He's sitting down--all according to plan. Now, while the guy is off his guard, Race kicks him, springs up, spins past a few other adults, and makes his getaway.

Skittery gets a fist to the face. Several newsies catch him as he falls.

"Are you alright?" David and Tumbler ask him. 

With the help of those supporting him, Skittery gets back up, and punches the guy even harder.

"Hey, Spot!" Jack calls up to Spot.

Spot grabs a line, and swings down into the streets below, taking out several adults as he does so.

He and Jack spit-shake.

"Glad you showed up, Spot!" Jack shouts over the clamor.

"Ya really think I would've missed a fight like this one, Jackie Boy?" Spot shouts back, whacking a few people with his cane, a wild gleam in his eyes.

And so the fight continues on, the odds are now in the newsies' favor, and they all know this.

Spot opens the gates that were keeping his newsies out, now letting a stream of huge, buff Brooklyn newsies directly into the fight. Spot whips around, cap gone, hair in his eyes, cane raised above his head, eyes triumphant. He uses his cane to push back at the people coming at him.

The fight continues on until it's clear that the newsies have won; when it's only them here.

They start cheering.

Some newsies dance around, others tear up newspapers.

Mush and Blink hold hands and jump up and down with glee.

Jack hugs David. David hugs him back, tighter.

"That was great, Spot!" Race tells Spot happily. "What took ya so long? We coulda used that fightin' power a while ago!" Spot only laughs.

Skittery carries Tumbler around on his shoulders.

They all are together in one place, smiling, laughing.

Denton knows that if there's any time to get a picture, it's now.

"Boys!" Denton shouts. "Freeze!"

No one is listening to him. They all have too much adrenaline from the rush of the moment.

"Jack!" Denton shouts. "Boys!"

"PICTURE!" Katherine shouts.

As they keep shouting, finally, one by one, the newsies realize what's going on. They're going to have their picture in the papes.

They are going to have their picture in the papes.

They excitedly move around.

Except for Jack, who is frozen with dread. My picture is going to be in the paper.

Someone steps on David's foot, causing him to yelp and hop around.

All of them push and shove, trying to get a good angle.

Knowing that there's nothing that he can do, Jack smiles for the camera.

"FREEZE!" Denton shouts.

All of them hear the camera flash.

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That seems like a good way to end it.

I never know how I'm going to write this chapter, but I always manage to nonetheless. It's just that there's so much chaos, and fighting, and conflict ... and I don't like those things haha.

But I do love when Spot comes in in the most iconic way possible.

Also ... I don't know what it is, but in the movie, when Spot opens the gates, and then hair is in his face, cane above his head, then proceeds to push people back with his cane and makes his way off camera ... I inexplicably feel an indescribable amount of gender envy and I have no idea what it is about that moment haha.

I've literally written two chapters in under two hours I am on a roll right now (I say that as I am about to stop for the morning and go eat breakfast/brunch/lunch haha).

I don't know if I have anything else to say about this chapter.

I do, however, know that I *should* say this: we're taking a quick detour next chapter before we reach King Of New York.

What is this detour? Well, you're just going to have to read to find out ;)

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH EVERYONE!!!!!!! :)
<3333

Please, no homophobia or transphobia, profanities, hate etc in the comment section.

Best,

~Your Beloved Author (who will honestly just have to watch what happens in the next chapter)